With the continuous development of network technologies and dramatic improvement in terminal capabilities, a network-based streaming media service, for example, audio and video services, is witnessing robust growth.
To address the competition pressures from the streaming media service, operators have launched multi-screen integrated services and built a system for processing a streaming media service, so that live program contents are transmitted by using different modes according to different terminal types. For example, for a traditional set top box (STB) terminal, live program contents may be transmitted by using Moving Pictures Experts Group 2-Transport Stream over Real-Time Transport Protocol (MPEG2-TS over RTP). For other terminals such as smart phones, netbooks, computers, and the like, live program contents may be transmitted by using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) technology.
A large number of servers and switches are needed in the system for processing a streaming media service, which makes the network architecture more complicated, thereby increasing operating costs.